Knee-joint for artificial limbs.



A. E. GAINES & A. A. ERB.

KNEE JOINT FOB. ARTIFICIAL LIMBS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.23,1914.

1,124,220. Patented Jan. 5, 19 15.

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E1- GAINES AND e'e'rnun, A. Eng. F nEN Jmz, COLORADO".

KNEE-JOIY1T FOR. ARTIFICIAL LII IRS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

f l i iicanon filed January 23, 191a. Serial No. 813,880.

To alfwiwjm it fii'cijfboneern: o v hit'WQjiARfrI-IUR GAINES citizens: 0f the; United 1e"; city' and county of fioiorado; have inventu efu-l Lnprovements in rtificielf Limbs; and we to be a -ful l,"cl'ea.r, the invention, such rs skilled in' the art to to make and use the "std to the accompany the characters of refwhich form a part i fi l liable P we )dbrti o gth q er portion thereof eo6penite and from the joint, straps exiirid downwardly-and h' a z'icentf members'of the mbe'gtiilis1 were' of the same dinfoul'd ib'les's thickness of maenters, than where the di'il'e rcnt dinrmaters and the roceed' to descrihevthe igr cifcewiingyinw. es tmgtedii n borl 'tnent'the reofiy In this drawing: Figure 1 1s a side elevsv 4% beach; of-these-joint fezimeasured on 'a' straight 't 6 Ar zi'nge'dsi'n the 7 relation 11 of the member 7 .i. which fits into the member 8. The distunee' hiitween the opp'otion (at an zirtificiz liliml) eqpi a ma pie-1 improvement, the joint construction Orr- 4.0m

side thereof only being shown; fig. 2 is a detail view of the completejoint located on one side of the limb, the parts being shown Patented- Jan. 5,3315.

on a 'much lnrgeifschle than Fig.1. Fig.1

3 is an edge View of the constructionshown in Fig. 2, being a View lookingfin'the di rec-tron of arrow 3, Fig. 2. '-'Fig. 4: is" a see-1 tion taken. through the joint on the line 4-4, Fig. 2. Fig. 5' is a view similar to Fig. 2, with a portion of the joint removed, namely the screw for eonnecting the parts in the assembled relation; Fig.6 is 'a view with an additional portion'of the joint removed, exposing oneset'of ball bearings.

Fig. 7 is a detnil view of thefcong mgmb iof the joint. member shown'in Fig. 7 .01" fie-n" looking in the direction'of arrow, 8, Fig 7 -1 F ig, 8 is al. face .view. o "f'.the

The same reference fcha racters indicate the same parts ingfall the i i'ewls.

Let the numerzilfidesignate the" upper" member and .6 the lower member of the :ir-

tificial limbr" Our improved joint is e'r nr" ployed" to connect these merphers inop'erative relation at the knee AS heretofore err-f plainecl, as the construct-lends duplicated o'n both sides, one set-ofjointfipa'rts only' is illustrated and but one set-will bedesorihed;

Let the numerals" 7" and 8 designate 'the. two main parts of the joint. which are re speotively secured to the limbin'cmbe'r's '5' and 6. The part 74s formedintegral with" a metal strzifi 9, which extends above the" joint and is fastened to thelimb members in 'nny suitable manner; as hy seeming de vices 10. The part '8 is -pi'0i-ided with =1 downwardly extending metal strap 12;

which is secured to thelower n ember fifo'f, "'eans of fasteningde '1ces1'3.

the limb by" Between the joint parts 7 {ind 8 'a set'of bearing balls 14 is 'loc'ated, the'said balls-being placed withinn raceway formed'pz'irtly in each member.

-The member '7 has a cylindrical opening the openings rsmid lfi of'thenzirtSY EindS, ,n tlined :(iurimproved the said cone member -hd\ji"ng afcylindrical' portion 18 which fits 'mto-l thjeopening-11o I site diagonal corners of the squared portion 19 of the can'iiimbr, is the length of the diameter of the cylindrical or circular member 18. By virtue of this construction the cone -memberis equipped; with so ,shoulders 11, which are arranged a jacent, corres ondingfaces formed on the member 8 o f't 'e joint. f1 f By virtue of the fact that the squared part -19 of the:cone.member fits'into the square opening 16. of the member 8, it is evident that the cone member and the member 8 are connected] to prevent independent rotary movement. 1 .v

' The cone member 17 has a relatively large circular flange20, which enters a recess 21 ofcounterpartshape formed in the memher 7, whereby when the parts are assembled the outer face 22 of. the "cone member is'.

flush with the adjacent face 23 of the member 7..

therecess21 of the member 7 parts of aset of ball bearings 24 are located. These bear ing ballsare located in a race-way 25 formed 25 in the member 7 and communicating on one side with the recess 21. When the cone member 17 is'applied'to the joint Fig.

' 4), the inner face 'of.the fian'g'e'20 engages the bearing balls 24, whereby the adjacent 3 faces of the flange 20 and the bottom of the recess 21, are slightly'separated. By virtue of this construction the bearingballs 24 prevent any contact between the adjacent faces of the two parts, whereby friction is reduced to a minimum. Attention is also called to the fact that the bearing balls 14 are so ar ranged between the two'members 7, and 8 of the jointj'that the adjacent faces of these members are separated, hence the adjacent movable parts of the joint are so connected as to reduce friction to the smallest possible degree. f b

Byreferring to Fig. 4 of the drawing it race-way 25 in which the'bearing balls 24 are located is less than the diameter offlthe rac'efway in which the bearing balls 14 are located. By virtue of this constriiction the portion of the part 7 between the two race-.

ways has much greater strength, than would be. the case if the race-ways for both.v sets of bearingfballs were of the 'samediameter.

'Hence, with our present form of construe tion it becomes practicable use'a member 7,'who se portion between'the two race-ways:

. is thinner, than if the race-ways were of the same diameter, still have .a oint of the'same strength. I

b The cone member';17 has a centrally -lo-- eojcated thr aded openmg 26 adapted to re-- ental enters the recess 21 of the member 7, its cy- -Between the flange 20 and the bottom of will befobserved that the diameter of the ,suiiicient depth to com letely countersink the head of, the screw. he free extremity of the shank 27 of the screw, is flush with the adjacent surface of the cone member 17 when the parts'are assembled, I v

From the foregoing descriptionthe-mam ner of assembling, as well as the operation, of ourimproved knee jointwill .be readily understood. The two parts 7 and 8 are first brought together in cooperative relation, with the bearing balls-14 in place. 4 The cone member 17 is then inserted or placed in the assembled relation, whereby its flange 20 86 lindrical part 18, the opening 15 of counter} part shape in the member 7, while the square part 19 enters'the opening 16 of counterpart shape formed inthe member 8. {The receive a locking lug 40, which is toothed onone extremity as shown at 31-to fit the corresponding teeth 32 formed on the pe riphery of the screw 28. \Vhen thislug-is inscr ed in the recess 39 and its teeth fitted. into t e corresponding teeth-32 of the screw 28, a fastening device havin arsmall screw 33 will be inserted in a per oration formed in timing, and threaded'into the member some distance belowthe movable parts 0 the joint, whereby the perforation' for the screw 33 does not weaken the joint, as would be the case if the fastening screw 33 were no inserted close to the periphery -of the screw 28. g i Havingthusdescribedour invention,

. what we claim is:

Aimee joint forartihcial 113 two main members p c v y:;;pm

with metal-..straps'* secured to the respectlve members or amliinb above .=am 1 I below the kneefthe saidimain parts containingaawa firmed" partlyin'1 eachpart; no bal 5 located in the saidraeeway pneo the said member'sjbeing on its face pposite from that ad acent the ptherinain member, the bottom of thesaid provided with a second race-we ofdifieb :25 cnt diameter fromthat-in-:wluchj the fit8t named setof bearing balls is located,- ingballs located in said second raeeewsy,

cone member form in the two main parts flange entering the recess of one main ,part and engaging the bearing balls tangentially therein, a screw threaded into an opening formed in the cone member and engaging one of the main members on the opposite side of the joint from the cone member, whereb the {oint parts are connected in the assemb ed re ation, and means for locking the said screw in the adjusted position, comprising an elongated lug located in a recess forme in one of the members adjacent the screw, the said lug being toothed to inter- ARTHUR E. GAINES. ARTHUR A. EBB

Witnesses LENA Dmnmm, A. EBERT OBRmN. 

